MYTHOLOGY 



40i'J 



MYTHOLOGY 



suddenly downward, almost taking the breath 

 from Phaethon's body with their rapid plunge. 

 They came so close to the earth that mountains 

 which for thousands of years had been snow- 

 ci-owned lost their snow-caps and stood bare and 

 brown ; rivers were dried up ; a great part of 

 Africa was burned to a desert ; and many of the 

 people were scorched almost black. 



Phaethon had long before this dropped the 

 reins, and he stood shaking with terror. Cries 

 came up to him from the earth, cries of pain and 

 terror and fright from the people of the countries 

 over which he was passing. But he was too much 

 ;! for his own safety to worry about others. 



The cries did, however, reach the ears of Jupi- 

 ter, the king of the earth and heavens, where he 

 sat on his throne on Olympus, and he, horrified, 

 looked out upon the course of the wild boy. The 

 other gods and goddesses gathered about him and 

 besought him to save the earth. 



re will be no beauty, no freshness left," 

 they cried. "There will be no cool springs and 

 lakes for the nymphs to live in; no great trees 

 and forests where dryads may shelter them- 

 selves." 



"I call you all to witness! There is no other 

 way to save the earth but this!" cried Jupiter. 

 ami he raised his arm and hurled a bolt of light- 

 ning at the luckless Phaethon. 



Struck from the chariot, the boy fell headlong 

 Into a great river, while the horses trotted quietly 

 across the remaining part of their course and 

 disappeared into the doors of the West. 



This is but a dramatic way of telling about 

 1 noughts of summer and the suffering caused 

 to men and to plants by them, while the light- 

 ning which Jupiter hurled to end Phaeton's 

 leflfl drive represented the thunder shower 

 l>y which a drought is often broken. 



Some myths have in them but a touch of the 

 nature element, so slight that it is hardly safe 

 to say that it is there. The tale of Arachne, 

 from which comes Arachnida, the scientific 

 name for the spider family, is given below, and 

 is one of these myths. It is easy enough to 

 v that some Gn k. watching a spider spin 

 spin, and spin, may have thought, "Could 

 re be any worse punishment than that end- 

 less carrying on of an endless task?" And then 

 came to him the idea that may- 

 be it was a punishment, and he made some such 

 story as this: 



I In- ^inr* i.l \ riirluir 



might 



have been very proud ; she was young, beautiful, 

 and had Cut she cared less for 



.*< things T !i.| for tin- fa< I that 



People came from 

 10 to see tin- i 



tifu! . mi IH i (...nil 



- web grow un 



'" ' you have learned to do 



such wonderful work." 



r.t 



Most girls would have been proud to have been 

 taken for a pupil of the wisest and most skilful 

 of the goddesses, but Arachne was so proud that 

 she could not bear to have people think that 

 Minerva ever could have taught her any- 

 thing. Finally her 

 boasts came to the 

 ears of Minerva 

 herself. Now Mi- 

 nerva was not 

 naturally cruel or 

 revengeful, but 

 there was a wick- 

 e d n e s s in any 

 mortal's setting 

 herself up to sur- 

 pass a deity which 

 even Minerva 

 could not pardon. 

 Determined, how- 

 ever, to give the 

 boastful girl a 

 chance, Minerva 

 took the form of 

 an old woman and 

 went to Arachne's 

 home. 



"Foolish girl," 

 she said, "how do 

 you dare to set 

 yourself up as an- 

 equal in skill to 

 the goddess of the 



ARACHNE 



She filled her web with sub- 

 Mfdly chosen to 

 exhibit the failings and er- 



Do you not rors of the gods, 

 know that she 

 could punish you severely for such boasting?" 



"Let her!" said Arachne. "I am her equal, and 

 I am willing that she should know what I have 

 said. Let her come and match her skill with 

 mine and if I am beaten I will pay the pen- 

 alty." 



"Foolish girl !" cried the goddess, dropping her 

 disguise and appearing in her own radiant form ; 

 "the trial shall take place here an<l now." 



All those who stood by were terrified; some of 

 them fell at the feet of Minerva ; others besought 

 Arachne to yield before it was too late. But the 

 proud girl remained defiant, unafraid. 



So the contest began, while the bystanders 

 stood breathless with fear and admiration. Mi- 

 nerva at her loom worked rapidly, the shuttle 

 seeming to fly as she passed it back and forth 

 through the threads; and a marvelously beautiful 

 pattern soon began to show itself In the web. 

 But Arachne's > those who watched. 



little, if any, less perfect than that of the goddess 

 herself. Only, what wnn this which the reckless 

 girl was daring to do? Not content with defying 

 one of the gods, she chose for her Mihjert In the 

 web she was making the faults and fa Him: 

 the dwellers on Olympus, showing them so cl 

 body could mi 



II. ..\\n w b finished. Mln. 



lo.iiird at ' It was wonderful the god- 



dess could not l.ut admit it ; 



imption ' tin- u i. k< .Iness of II ' tli 



UP th.- fault ~ of the gods before these st.i 



With her shuttle ihe tore the beautiful web of 

 from top t.. bottom, and then turned to 

 the girl herself. 



